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F-35A completes first night refueling mission
March 29, 2012 (by
Jason Hodgkiss) -
In the first of many missions the JSF completed it's first night refueling of the Lockheed Martin F-35 program was completed last Thursday (March 22nd) at Edwards Air Force Base.
Lt. Col. Peter Vitt, 461st Flight Test Squadron director of operations took AF-4, the conventional takeoff and landing F-35A variant, rendezvoused in an orbital track with an Air Force KC-135 tanker and successfully received fuel through the F-35’s boom receptacle. The sortie lasted over three hours.
The F-35 Integrated Test Force at Edwards AFB will also be conducting night refueling tests with the KC-10, however no date has been announced for this yet.
The first F-35 night refueling mission with F-35A AF-04 happaned on March 22nd, 2012 at Edwards AFB. [Lockheed Martin photo]
The F-35 Integrated Test Force at Edwards AFB will also be conducting night refueling tests with the KC-10, however no date has been announced for this yet.
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Additional images:
The first F-35 night refueling mission with F-35A AF-04 happened on March 22nd, 2012 at Edwards AFB. [Lockheed Martin photo]
F-35A AF-4 successfully received fuel from an Air Force KC-135 tanker through the F-35’s boom receptacle. [Lockheed Martin photo by Matthew Short]
The first F-35 night refueling mission with F-35A AF-04 happened on March 22nd, 2012 at Edwards AFB. [Lockheed Martin photo]